ELECTRICAL ACTION IN AMAL. GAMATING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1442, 12 July 1879, Page 8

ELECTRICAL ACTION IN AMAL. GAMATING.

\[- \.i a Mil 8 Pj,ul, of San Francisco, writes to the Mining Presi : — Now as ,to the eleptrical feature as applied to amalgamating the piecioua metals. I have expended 10 years on this very question, and have accomplishad much, and with one exception — a treatment for hto separating cheaply of the precious metals from base bullion. I have concentrated the good points of these evperiments all into my •' Dry Amalgamating Barrel Process." You will sco in my last pamphlet, page 9, that 1 say — " Although I have well considered the science of its metallurgical features,- its introduction here is of minor importance. This is a practical age — , man's aim ia wealth rather thaa science I therefore present it in a practical shape, and for the present will only attempt' to prove my statement by bars of bullion. • But here -I must say, that the process, ia a scientific sense, is in perfect accord with the - effectual laws of chemical and electrical science, all of which, in due time, will be as much, appre ciated by the scientific, a<? by the practical miner, who only Beans his ( bullion as a test of merit "

Again, on page 5 I say — " I adopt, therefore dry and add to it dry amalgamation under- heat of electrical action, which in all nature' is life, ttius producing amalgamation by attraction, as well as compulsion." I first called this system the "electric process," as the amalgamation is based on elec- ■ trical science, but subsequently dropped the' electrical part, for the reason I found _ it was making pecuniary headway backward — this talking about e'ectrical metallurgy, as too many mining man get frightened when they are asb?d to touch anything with some new scientific ' idea, in it, just as if the art of handling preci ous metals was to stand still while the world was advancing in everything else. ' ' - At the same time I dropped the talk. I did not drop the merits or give further explanation, and now could convey Iconsiderably more oa electrical metallurgy than I purpose to do. What is the use of parading any new scientific fact for solid-headed' miners? They want the bullion — not science. The more one seeks to give scientific solutions' for practical results the less value is given to any new process or disocvery, no matter what it is. I might also add, what is the use of expending time and money in experiments ? Thero is no reward for it. In fact one actually injures his reputation as a sensible business man by. advancing new principles, no matter how great the merit. . As to the progress and results I have made by my radical treatment of ores, I will answer thus: ' ; Ist. I have determined that what has been deemed a myth of alchemistical science to be a practical fact — viz., that there is such a thing as " philosophical mercury" (as the alchemist, called it). In practical wording, that mercury, can be placed in such a condition as to have affinity only for gold and silver. In other words, ] that I can workoros containing gold, silver, lead, antimony, zinc, copper or arsenic, as a whole or eiugly, with the precious metals, and amalgamate only gold and. silver, and produce bullion finer than coin, and oftener above ftjft fine than under it, and will provo it can bo done on a scale of 100 toub a day as easily as 100 pounds.

2nd. That the large body of silver ores now put through the process of roaeting can be more profitably worked without it and a] bullion be free of base, or, rather, /gift fine. 3rd. Tuat by the disintegration of ores and chemical applications, I can generate, in & practical amalgamating machine, so much electricity an to dffy the strength of the strongest man— rot only that, but be dangerous to handle 4th. That 1 will amalgamate gold :o fi'je that paper cau be pilded with it. sth. That there is no such thing as gold being in any other condition than metallic — in other words, that gold is simple. 6th. Taking ores from any of the leading gold mines of California that the best mills, working stamps, copper plates and blankets, d 6 not get on an average, 40 per caut. of the full value of tho ot 0.

7th. That the majority of mills of California working as above, do not average one third the value of the ores, and that tho great bulk of the gold lost is atomic gold, and gold so fiuu I hat paper cau be gilded with it in 1%3 natural state.

A shipment of coppfr arrive 1 by the Charles Edward at Wellington from the D'Urviilo Island copper-minefor conveyance by tho Austialii <1 to the Warutdhsmeltingw<srks»,Newca^tlfS N.S.W. The shipment consists' of what is known as " silver-grty peicoL i k," taken from the lowest or 100 foot level of the mine.

Complaints are made in Melbourne of the high price of fish. It is said that the middlemen get the ehillings and. the fishermen the farthings. , -< -' ' • - 1 -